Souljunky released their debut extended player “Here and Now” in 2011 which has been described as “delightfully ethereal” and “twenty minutes of sweet musical escapism”. The “Here and Now” E.P. is truly a clear indicator of what this musical collective is capable of. Souljunky seamlessly takes elements from wildly different genres and much like a digital sampler, splices them together to find a striking harmonic balance. “Here and Now” begins with the addictive pop gem “Francine” and slowly winds it’s way to the shoe-gazing ambience of “Naked” and ends strongly with a Northern Soul floor filler “You Are The Landfill”.
Over the past year and a half the group has been busy writing new songs which have found there way onto the group’s full length debut titled “I found your dream”. The group’s sound continues to expand and seemingly at once evolve in a more refined manner. The new songs on this album seem much more politically and socially aware but, they never come off preachy or offensive. All of the songs on “I Found Your Dream” share a common theme in which the songs question the status quo and the trappings which, come with living up to other peoples expectations of us.
Formed in 2011, this Chicago-based five piece consists of Chris Hess (vocals/ guitars/ keyed instruments), John Mott (vocals/ guitars), John Vanderweit (bass guitars), Grant Niebergall (drums and percussion) and most recently Eric Chase (vocals/ keyed instruments). These gents have known each other for over sixteen years nows and you can hear this in their music. The contributions of these musicians individually aren’t necessarily as important as what they are doing together as a whole right now. Souljunky’s sole intention is to write and perform the most honest, heartfelt and creative music they possibly can.
People are quick to make judgements with association these days because they lack a certain descriptive vocabulary and they hear it all the time. So when the group is asked to describe their sound, you will most likely receive the same answer, Souljunky. The group certainly has developed their own distinct sound which remains a strong source of pride for the group. However, upon closer inspection one can easily hear many influences such as: electro, punk, soul, shoe-gazing, rock, afro-beat and many other genres melding seamlessly together.
Both separately and collectively, the members of this group have either played with or alongside numerous noteworthy artists such as: the late Jay Bennett of Wilco, Nash Kato of Urge Overkill, Sammy Llanas of The Bodeans, Faith No More, Scott Lucas of Local H, Via Verso, The Motherhips, DJ Greyboy, Petibone and many others.
The group’s music has also been played on Chicago’s 93.1 FM WXRT as well as Hammond’s 1230 AM WJOB where they were a featured artist on Flying Around The Sun.
Please sign up for the group’s mailing list or follow the group’s Facebook page to stay abreast of all current and breaking news.
For more information, opportunities or bookings please contact: John Mott @ 708-798-4503
(Photos by Treffly Coyne)